"The rich and powerful, they take what they want. We steal it back for you. Sometimes bad guys make the best good guy. We provide Leverage."
That's the voice over to the opening credits of every episode of Leverage on TNT, and it sets up the point of the show nicely. A group of talented thieves, con men, and criminals work together to help the downtrodden. They're an Ocean's 11 meets Robin Hood team, and I'll admit I was hooked on this show from the very first episode. As soon as I saw that Christian Kane from Angel was on it, I was intrigued. Then Gina Bellman from Coupling was in the cast, and I was spellbound. By the time I recognized Timothy Hutton from Ordinary People, it was already hooked in my brain as the next best television show on cable. And that's exactly what Leverage became.
The show stars Tim Hutton as Nathan Ford, a former insurance specialist who used to track down criminals and became one himself after the tragic death of his only son. The insurance company he worked for refused to help his family, so he became a bitter alcoholic, and when he had a chance to get revenge on them by stealing, he willingly did so. The first season, Nate struggled with his alcoholism and the idea of being the only 'honest man' in a gang of thieves. Then there was Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman), the best grifter in the world who had a spotty and slightly romantic past with Nate. While he never cheated on his wife with her, they always had a cat and mouse sexy game between them. She joined the team primarily for him, but found that the man he was then was not the man she fell in love with.
The hitter of the team, Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane), seemed like a brute at first, strong and dangerous and stoic, but over time the team takes away some of his armor. He's a gourmet cook, a former horse ranger, and he protects the members of his strange 'family' at any cost. Eliot often clashes with the youngest member of the team, Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge). Hardison is the tech, a brilliant computer geek that provides support to the rest of the team and occasionally messes up because he's too busy playing World of Warcraft. Hardison has a serious crush on the last member of the team, the thief Parker (Beth Riesgraf). No last name known. Parker is strange, awkward, hates human interaction, and has ninja-like grace.
In the first season, the team struggled with their newfound positions as the good guys, and with their trust issues. They fought and bickered and saved innocent victims, and in the end they all went their separate ways. Season two starts out six months later, and the team comes back together. Unlike the first season when Nate was the driving force to get them together, this time the others beg Nate to come back. They became addicted to the challenges he provided, and while Nate refuses at first, he eventually gets drawn back in. The second season is all about their journey from being just a team to being more of a family, and Nate's eventual acceptance that he is now, for all intents and purposes, a criminal. The only flaw in this otherwise strong season is that Gina Bellman was forced to leave the show for a handful of episodes because of maternity leave. Sophie's presence is desperately missed, even with Jeri Ryan filling in for her role. They did fill it in nicely with the storyline and it makes the finale that much more emotional.
The DVD sets never fail to impress me, because they have commentary on every single episode of the show. Usually it is with the creators and directors, although occasionally a writer will be thrown in there. It is unfortunate to have no actors on the commentary, however. They might want think about that for season three. Still, the information given there is always fascinating. Extras also include a Q&A with the creators, a set tour with John Rogers, featurettes for the special effects and music, a spoof video with Aldis Hodge, and an excellent gag reel.
This review may seem gushy, but that's because the show has fanatic viewers. It's entertaining, funny, action packed, full of twists, and the drama is always handled carefully and not over the top. If you're looking for a summer show to get into, Leverage is an excellent choice. It comes back June 20th on TNT, and all of season one is on Netflix's Instant Watch if you want to start getting caught up.
ComicsOnline gives Leverage Season Two 5 long cons out of 5.
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